Capturing this little one mid-giggle is pretty magical.

The complete joy on her little crinkled up face with the tiny tiny teeth...

The anticipation for another tickle...

And the excited, dimpled smile - I love this stage of childhood!

2012 Christmas Letter

Well, we didn't get our Christmas cards out before Christmas this year.

Not even before Epiphany...

But before Christmas was liturgically over, so I consider that a victory!  If you weren't lucky enough to receive a card/letter from us, that really just means that you're not a relative we've seen within the past year or that you didn't send *us* a card - trying to pare down to people who will actually appreciate them!  The card's not worth sharing (oh hideous hideous mall portrait studio pictures - never again!), but here's the letter (with pictures added!):

1.       On a typical week day you can be found:

a.      At the law office or at court

b.      Teaching middle school chorus

c.      Reading every book you can find

d.      Rocking your baby dolls to sleep

e.      Sleeping

2.      Your favorite weekend activity is:

a.      Watching soccer on TV or playing video games while trying to keep small children from climbing on your back

b.      Going to the farmer’s market & sampling all the delicious local produce

c.      Jumping up and down and shrieking with glee while your dad plays video games

d.      Jumping up and down and shrieking with glee while your dad plays video games

e.      Sleeping

3.      The most exotic place you traveled this year was:

a.      England

b.      England

c.      Michigan

d.      Illinois

e.      The doctor’s office

4.      The household chore you most often perform is:

a.      All of them

b.      Cooking

c.      Folding washcloths & putting away utensils

d.      Stacking dry baby wipes

e.      Soiling clean laundry

5.      How many of you ARE there?

a.      1

b.      1

c.      1

d.      1

e.      2

6.       You just met Santa Claus – how do you react?

a.      Ask him where his mitre is

b.      Ask him for a nap

c.      Beg him for a candy cane

d.      Sob uncontrollably

e.      Sleep

7.      Your favorite part of Mass is:

a.      Any part, since you go to extra Masses for a chance to be alone

b.      The beginning, because none of the kids has had a meltdown yet

c.      The consecration, because you say all the words along with the priest in a VERY loud voice

d.      Afterwards, because you get to run through the grass shouting, “I AM SO FAST!”

e.      Sleeping

8.      You’re picking out an outfit for the day.  You’re most likely to wear:

a.      Anything with a bow tie

b.      Something blue

c.      Plaid pants & red soccer socks with whatever shirt you pick up first

d.      Pink.  Anything pink.  Preferably multiple pairs of pants.  And Minnie Mouse underwear.   Polka dots are also acceptable, because Minnie Mouse wears polka dots.

e.      The smallest article of clothing you can find, but don’t get too attached – it’ll be dirty in half an hour!

If you answered…

Mostly A’s:  You’re Andrew!  The father of the family, you work in a law office by day and spend time with your family and sing at church on the weekends.  You do most of the cleaning around the house, and keep your kids entertained with Lego Star Wars.  You traveled to England this spring, and also took a trip to the Midwest over the summer. 

I think this is the picture he would choose to represent himself... 

Mostly B’s:  You’re Rosie!  The mother of the family, you teach middle school chorus in Fairfax County (although you’re currently on maternity leave, lucky you!).  Right now, you spend most of your time on the couch nursing the twins you found out you were having a couple of months before they were born, but when you get a chance to stand up you try to cook for your family and do a little bit of housework.  You also traveled to England this spring, and had a blast at the beach in Michigan and visiting friends in Chicago.

Did you know you can take pictures directly from a webcam on blogger???  This is me AS I TYPE!  You can't see the baby that I'm nursing or the Cheez-its that I'm eating...

Mostly C’s:  You’re John Paul!  At almost 3.5, you’re reading at approximately a 4^th grade level, although your attention span is still rather limited.  You spend much of your time playing “Mass” and insisting that your family participate the entire time (including the twins, who apparently have received their First Communion already) with proper responses.

Mostly D’s:  You’re Cecilia!  You’ll be two at the end of January, and have a deep love of babies, Minnie Mouse, and all animals (but only from a distance).  You have a strange fear of the vacuum cleaner, garbage disposal, and maintenance men.  You recently discovered how to hop and spend much of your time hopping around the living room, climbing everything you possibly can, kissing babies, and giggling uncontrollably.

Action shot!

Mostly E’s:  You’re Elizabeth and Mary Claire!  You were born on November 14, 2012 and spend much of your time eating and sleeping.  Your goal by the end of 2012 is to outgrow your newborn-sized clothing, and you just might get there (if you’re Mary Claire – Elizabeth has no chance)! 

Note the size discrepancies

Did you make it through the whole quiz?  Which one of us are YOU?

Kitchen conundrum

I don't think there has ever been a person who can cook successfully in a postage stamp-sized kitchen with screaming babies and death-defying toddlers underfoot.  The constant yells of, "Ooooohhhh I want to help cook!" lack the coordination and height to actually HELP.  Usually I find myself resorting to the most brilliant and original of mom tactics, plopping the big kids in front of the TV and wearing one of the babies while hoping the other falls asleep in the swing.

Tonight, however, Elizabeth would NOT be worn.  John Paul and Cecilia decided they were done watching TV and REALLY wanted to help!  (Thankfully my mom was here to hold a fussy Elizabeth, otherwise it would have been leftovers for dinner) 

So they helped me put away dishes, mostly successfully, but also dropping several pieces of silverware on the floor.  (You have never seen me put away dishes so fast as when a not-quite-2-year-old is holding an expensive china salad bowl in each hand exclaiming, "It's heeeeeavy!")

Then they wanted to help cook.  Which was really just a LOT of cutting with a very sharp knife.  So I tried to come up with things with which they could help me...  I sent John Paul to the basement to get me an onion, which bought me a minute.  Then I sent him to peel the onion, which bought me enough time to chop the onion that I already had ready.  Then I remembered how much he loves peeling garlic!  We didn't need any garlic for this meal (bacon mac 'n cheese, broccoli, and smoked sausage) but do you know how long it takes a 3-year-old to peel a whole head of garlic?  Long enough!

But what do I do with Cecilia, who has little patience for this type of task and keeps pulling the kitchen stool directly in front of where I need to be?  I kept giving her scraps of food and saying, "Go show Grandma!!!"  That only worked for so long.

I need tips!  What do you do to keep the kids out of the kitchen?  I'd like to involve them, but there's SO little room for any sort of actual help.  I'm hoping that when we move I can just throw them all out in the backyard to stay entertained, although that isn't always a solution either...

My Favorite Child

Growing up (and heck, even when we were grown) we always used to ask our mom and dad who their favorite child was.  My sister and I never believed them when they said they couldn't pick a favorite.  After all, wasn't I the best singer?  Wasn't she the smartest?  Surely one of those factors had to mean the most to them!

But now that I have four of my own, I'm really beginning to understand.  I can't possibly have a favorite child - they're all my favorite (but they're all my least favorite, too...)! 

Sure, John Paul might drive me nuts when he screeches uncontrollably because I won't let him watch tv all day long.

But then he'll so tenderly hug his sisters, or come snuggle with me while reading a book to himself, or run in circles around the room while singing the books of the Bible and I remember why he is my favorite, my first, my only boy.

And Cecilia...  Her complete lack of remorse when she does something like intentionally kick a baby (gently) in the head, going so far as to laugh when the baby starts crying.  It drives me crazy!

But when she tearfully comes downstairs from her nap telling me, "I need to snuggle Mom?"  And her infectious giggle when she takes off her boot on her car seat singing, "I have a foot!" And her twirling and dancing and hopping around the living room while singing "Immaculate Mary."  Then I know that she is absolutely my favorite, my wonderful girl, my sparkly princess.

Then Elizabeth wakes up 3 minutes after I just put her down, demanding to nurse for yet another hour.  Or spits up what must be EVERYTHING she just ate all down the front of my shirt.  Or Mary Claire poops all over the floor during a diaper change, or spends half an hour latching and unlatching, freaking out because she is so-tired-and-so-hungry-but-never-wants-to-sleep-or-eat.  Not my favorite.

But one enchanting, dimpled smile and I can't imagine life without Elizabeth.  Or Mary Claire snuggles into me like a tiny, sleepy bear cub breathing her sweet milk breath into my face and making wonderful baby noises.  And how could they not be my favorites, my surprise twins, my tiny babies?

And so I understand.  "You're ALL my favorite" isn't the cop-out answer I always thought it was.  It's the absolute truth, as much as can be expressed in words.  How can I possibly explain the joy these children all bring me, each in a completely different way? 

Just another Saturday morning

John Paul has taken to reading like this in the middle of the living room floor.  It's kind of hilarious, and makes me realize that his hair must end up looking like a giant faux-hawk every morning solely because that's what it's doing all night!

This big-girl face...  I can NOT get over it.  So serious, with just a touch of attitude!

This is a common scene in our house - the moment a baby is put on the floor, Cecilia likes to run over and lie down next to them.  I can't wait until they're actually old enough to play together - the big kids are SO excited for the babies to be able to *do* things!